The Many Health Support Benefits of Resveratrol
“Resveratrol is one of the most widely studied polyphenols with over ten thousand reports in the literature,” according to a 2019 review published in the journal Nutrients. The researchers go on to say that resveratrol “has been assigned a plethora of metabolic effects with potential health benefits.”
That’s a powerful statement when you consider that there are hundreds of polyphenols that are presently being studied by many researchers. One of the reasons resveratrol has caught the attention of so many scientists is because it has several key mechanisms of action. A 2018 review looking at lifespan extension that was published in BioFactors attributed resveratrol’s efficacy to its antioxidant potential, as well as its ability to support healthy inflammatory balance. This review also identified several studies demonstrating that resveratrol helps support telomere maintenance.
Several studies have shown that resveratrol can help support healthy weight management including the previously mentioned 2019 review published in the journal Nutrients. Research demonstrates that resveratrol also supports cardiovascular health including a 2018 clinical trial published in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity that showed positive effects for healthy blood pressure, body mass index, lipids, and glucose compared to the control group.
According to the scientific literature, resveratrol works along several neuroprotective pathways. A 2018 review published by Gomes et al in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity makes the connection between resveratrol and SIRT1 by concluding, “…the antioxidant activity of resveratrol plays an important role in neuronal differentiation through the activation of silent information regulator-1 (SIRT1). SIRT1 plays a vital role in the growth and differentiation of neurons….”
Why does resveratrol have such far-reaching health supporting effects? One answer lies in its ability to induce epigenetic modifications. Springer and Moco write in their 2019 review, “While resveratrol has an impact on metabolism, some of its mechanisms are a consequence of epigenetic modifications. Epigenetic modifications include DNA methylation, histone modifications and nucleosome positioning.” The fact that resveratrol supplementation can influence DNA methylation and histone activity thereby influencing gene expression explains in part how it can support health on so many levels including heart, brain, metabolism, as well as other functions in the human body.
Resveratrol is available as a single ingredient dietary supplement but is often combined with other synergistic ingredients to create targeted formulations.